Joseph g



@uiten tates atwt @fitta JOSEPH e. MOODY, OF NEW'YOHK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 61,753, dated February 5, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN VESSELS AND TANKS FOB'HOLDING HYDROGARBON AND OTHERLIQUIDS.

iilge Seigehnle referrer tu in tigese etters @tient mit making gaat uftte amie.v

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. MOODY, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTanks or Yessels for Holding Hydrocarbon and'other gaseous and,inflammable Liquids; and I hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description oi' the same, reference-being had to theaccompanying drawing, which represents a longitudinal vertical sectionof an oil'- boat with my improvements applied.

The object of my invention is to provide for the safe discharge of theiniiammable and explosive gases generated within tanks or receptaclescontaining hydrocarbon liquids. In ordinarytanks or vessels of thisdescriptionfthe gases are discharged into the surrounding air, and theyare therefore very liable to become ignited and to explode, causing thedestruction of the tanks, and oftentimes the killing or disabling ofpersons standing near. My invention consists, essentially, in conducting,the gases from the tank as soon as they 'are generated, anddischargingthem into water or other uninilamrna'ble- `liquid medium, soas to keep them from all direct contact with the air, thus rendering theoperation of discharging them safe and easy.

The boat, or oating oil receptacle, A, shown in the drawing, is anordinary tank, containing no other liquid than the oil, the level ofwhich is Aindicated at a a.' B is the supply tube, which, when not inuse, is hermctically closed. From the dome C which rises from the centreof the tank, and in which the gases generated by the liquid accumulate,there extends a ,discharge tube, D, whose other end, d, is carried .overthe side of the boat and/bent so asto be plunged in the water below' thewater-line b, as shown in the drawing; The orifice d of the tube isturned upwards; but it is obvious that it may be bent in any directionso long as it Ais covered by the water; and so the tube D, instead-ofbeingfcarried over the stern of the boat, may extend over the sides orany other partgof the boat. When the tube is thus placed below thewater-lindo b, there is a constant equilibrium maintained between thegases 'and thewatexy and, in proportion as the pressure of theaccumulated gases exceedsjthat ofthe water, the former are dischargedfrom the -Orificed, and enter the water, with which theybecomedncorporated. It will thus be seen that, although the mouthof thetube D is' always `leftlopen, yet, as there is an uniniiammable liquidmedium interposed between it and the air, there is no possibility of reor other igniting agent reaching the interior of the tank through thetube and there can be no great accumulation` of gases within the tank,as they arc discharged through the tube almost as fast as theyarcgenerated. Although I have shown my invention used in connection witha floating tank, itjwill, of course, be understood that it can e beapplied with equal facility to any othekind of tank, whether surroundedby water or not. 'The only essential is, that the mouth, or the openend, of the tube D shouldbe covered by o1`- immersed in water, as aboveexplained, and this may be accomplished by plungingit into a tank orsmall reservoir of water, or othersuitable means maybe employed.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is or maybe carried into e`ect, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is v 1. The method of discharging the' gases generatedwithin. the tank, or other receptacle containing the hydrocarbon liquid,into -an uninammablc liquid medium, substantially as shown and setforth.

2. The combination, with .a Boating tank, or other receptacle forhydrocarbon liquids, of a gas-discharge tube, attached to the dome, orupperfpart of said tank, and havingits mouth, or-open end, immersed inand surrounded by water, substantially as and for'the purposesdescribed. v

In testimony whereof lI have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH e. MOODY.

Witnesses `E. RICHMOND,

Gamme Nnmn'ifon.

